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New Delhi, Dec 17: Visit of President of the Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to India is being considered as a big diplomatic achievement for the present dispensation in view of growing influence of China on the island nation. The visit is very [...]

High-end flagship features eventually make their way to budget devices. That is the circle of life as far as technology is concerned. Micromax recently brought the 18:9 aspect ratio to the sub-10K cat... [...]

Woman, 48, also allegedly robbed as she walked to a guesthouse in Palolem beachIndian police have arrested a suspect over the alleged rape and robbery of a British woman in the western state of Goa, according to reports.The incident took place in the early hours of Thursday when the 48-year-old victim was walking to a guesthouse near Palolem beach at about 3am. Continue reading... [...]

Rumours that film features love scene between queen and her Muslim conqueror leads to blanket security at premiereThe Bollywood epic Padmaavat opens in cinemas across India on Thursday under blanket security after months of fierce protests. Related: Indian film Padmavati sparks protests over 'Hindu-Muslim romance' Related: Hindu activists threaten to torch UK cinemas in Bollywood film row Continue reading... [...]

Bill Richardson, who quit an international panel advising Aung San Suu Kyi on the Rohingya crisis, says Myanmar's leader is living in a cocoon and doesn't want to hear frank adviceAung San Suu Kyi lives in 'bubble', says US diplomat in row with Myanmar Continue reading... [...]

Mumbai, July 13: It has been seven years since a series of bombs ripped India's commercial capital, Mumbai. The attack known as 13/7 blasts was carried out by the Indian Mujahideen led by Yasin Bhatkal in which 26 people died. {image-mumbai-blast-1531467708.jpg [...]

Officials armed non-Rohingya civilians and suspended aid in months before Rakhine state, new research allegesAuthorities in Myanmar made preparations for attacks against the Rohingya with “genocidal intent” in the weeks before last year’s purge, a rights watchdog has claimed.A report by Fortify Rights, a Bangkok-based organisation, alleges that officials carefully planned a systematic assault on the Rohingya community. Continue reading... [...]

Access to my website has been censored, apparently in the name of maintaining peace and harmony‘The webpages hosted on your platform are extremely Blasphemous and are hurting the sentiments of many Muslims.” So claimed an email from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to WordPress, the platform that hosts my website Pandaemonium.The email pointed to some of my articles about Charlie Hebdo, the French satirical magazine targeted by Islamist gunmen in a machine-gun attack that left 12 people dead in January 2015. The PTA ordered WordPress to block access to my website in Pakistan in order “to contribute towards maintaining peace and harmony in the world”. Which is why readers in Pakistan can no longer see it. Continue reading... [...]

Bengaluru, Jan 20: Search engine Google dedicated doodle to Thai dancer Manlee Kongprapad, born in Bangkok's Yai District on this day in 1885, who fell in love with dance at an early age and overcame a humble upbringing to distinguish herself within [...]

Aligarh, Feb 15: A Kashmiri student from Aligarh Muslim University has been suspended for his objectionable tweet on Pulwama attack and an FIR has been registered against him. The student has been identified as,Basim Hilal, a student of Aligarh Muslim University. [...]

With the Centre accepting the changes, the NDA government has indeed made a giant step forward to bring on board all the state governments
The post GST Bill: Why swift Cabinet approval to changes is a commendable job by NDA appeared first on Firstpost. [...]

Hyderabad, Sep 26: An eleven-month-old baby on Wednesday, 26 September reportedly died onboard a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Hyderabad. The cause of the death is still unknown. Further details awaited. Earlier this week, a Chennai-Doha Qatar Airways [...]

Volkswagen’s Polo GTI is now moving into its sixth generation and the company is mulling over its India launch. The company is facing a challenge with the hot hatch’s pricing, as import duties and the car’s MQB platform could make it expensive. The other option is to launch the car after the local MQB platform (MQB A0 IN) is developed, though this would mean a delay of two years or more.
The Polo GTI was imported and launched in November 2016 at a rather exorbitant Rs 26 lakh, and while the company moved the first lot of 100 units quite quickly, the second batch brought in had to be discounted towards the end. With the Polo, and thus the GTI version, now moving into the sixth generation with a new platform (MQB) the company needs to reevaluate its launch in India.
The hot hatch was imported in the three-door format and Volkswagen admits that its steep pricing did keep potential buyers away. However, it believes that, if priced right, there exists a good enough market for it. Additionally, the company is very keen on launching the new car to maintain the nameplate continuity. It could thus end up importing the new GTI straight away; however, it would become an issue in keeping the price competitive against its rivals, like the Mini.
The VW Group had recently announced plans to develop a low-cost version of its modular MQB A0 platform, dubbed the MQB A0 IN. This locally developed platform will underpin cars for both brands – Volkswagen and Skoda. However, its development work would take some time and priority would be given to vehicles from higher volume segments, with the first product expected to be a small SUV to take on the Creta.
Given the scenario, company sources tell us that that they are also mulling doing both, bringing in the import now and later moving to local production.
Also see:
2017 Skoda Octavia RS vs Volkswagen GTI comparison
2018 Volkswagen Polo GTI, Polo GTI R5 image gallery [...]

Journalists defy dangers because they understand that their role is a necessary check on the ambition and vanity of the rich and powerful. Protecting reporters has never been so necessaryTen journalists were killed in two attacks in Afghanistan on Monday along with 26 other people who seem to have been collateral damage. All of these deaths were tragedies for everyone who loved the victims. But attacks on journalists, like attacks on doctors or judges, are not just attacks on individuals and their families: they aim to tear the connective tissue of society. Not all journalists are singled out for killing, of course. Those who never attack the powerful or do not put themselves in harm’s way are unlikely to be victims.Yet neither is it necessary to display the extraordinary determination of the Maltese investigative reporter Daphne Caruana Galizia, killed in a car bomb near her home last year, in order to be at risk. Often it is enough to be doing the unglamorous work of reporting what happens in plain sight, to ensure that no one turns away from what should be in front of their noses. There are times and places when the simple truth is in itself a provocation to thugs and criminals. In Afghanistan, as in Pakistan, in Mexico, and above all in Syria, journalists are killed simply for recording the atrocities around them. Continue reading... [...]

New Delhi, Oct 15: Facing backlash from the BJP over his comment on the Ram Temple, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor took to Twitter on Monday to say that his comments had been distorted by "some media in service of political masters". [...]

Honda has unveiled the updated CBR 150R in the Indonesian market. The 2019 iteration of Honda’s 150cc sports bike features a revised fairing and some mechanical changes as well as new graphics and colour schemes.
The 150R now gets a colour back-light for the digital instrument console and a taller windscreen for better protection against wind blast at high speeds. Sharper new dual LED headlamps with LED turn indicators are also new on the CBR. The new colour schemes on offer are Matte Black, Victory Black Red, Honda Racing Red and a MotoGP edition.
The 2019 CBR 150R features a muscular fuel tank and a dual-tone finished exhaust. There is also a revised fairing on offer as part of the update. Suspension duties are carried out by a telescopic fork and a monoshock. The new CBR 150R is also said to get adjustable front and rear suspension, but it isn't clear yet what this adjustability involves. In terms of braking, the bike is equipped with petal front and rear discs, ABS and a new emergency stop signal (ESS) which flashes the brake light.
The 2019 CBR 150R is powered by a 149cc, single-cylinder, DOHC, liquid-cooled engine that makes 17.1hp at 9,000rpm and 14.4Nm of torque at 7,000rpm. This is a good deal lower than the 19.3hp and 15Nm that the Yamaha R15 V3.0 has to offer. The motorcycle comes mated to a 6-speed gearbox.
Prices for the 2019 CBR 150R in Indonesia start at Rp 33,800,000 (about Rs 1.63 lakh) for the standard variant and go up to Rp 38,700,000 (approx. Rs 1.87 lakh) for the MotoGP edition.
Honda hasn't revealed any India plans yet, however, we believe there is a good case to be made for the CBR 150R in India as a rival to the Yamaha R15, if Honda can get the pricing right. It is possible that we may see this bike in our market in 2019.
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Election commissioner Om Prakash Rawat has been appointed the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and will take charge of the Election Commission of India (ECI) from January 23. Rawat will replace incumbent CEC Achal Kumar Joti, whose term comes to an [...]

The Bengaluru police on Sunday arrested a 37-year-old man identified as Mahendra Kumar, plumber after a video clip of him beating his 10-year-old son mercilessly for lying went viral. The video was retrived from a mobile phone which was [...]

Banda (UP), Jan 18: A train ran over 25 cows near Ragaol railway station in neighbouring Hamirpur district on Friday, officials said. "The cows were found dead on the track. They were buried in a nearby field," Superintendent of [...]